roman missal

As the new English translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal is introduced to the Church in the United States next year, one thing is certain: The words we say during the Liturgy are filled with meaning and aim to join our hearts closer to Christ's.

That was the sentiment echoed to more than 500 people — including priests, deacons, religious, educators and others who attended the 2010 Gateway Liturgical Conference last weekend at the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. The two-day conference, "Mystical Body, Mystical Voice," was presented by the archdiocesan Office of Sacred Worship.

Among the speakers were Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, Father Douglas Martis of the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, Ill., Christopher Carstens of the Office of Sacred Worship in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wis., and Msgr. Kevin Irwin of Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

The conference laid a foundation for preparing Catholics on what to expect when the new English translation of the Roman Missal is rolled out in parishes across the United States on the first Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27, 2011. The new translation will include new responses by the people in about a dozen sections of the Liturgy, as well as some changes to the words used by the priest.

Carstens and Father Martis, who have been giving workshops around the country on the Missal translations since September, explained that all of the words we say during the Liturgy are filled with meaning and ultimately are a reflection of what we believe as Catholics.

In fact, the words we say are sacramental signs of the Word, Jesus Christ, said Carstens.

Archdiocese of St. Louis Hosts Workshops for Priests, Others to Learn About Changes

WHAT: The Archdiocese of St. Louis is sponsoring the Gateway Liturgical Conference, which is a two day series of workshops designed to educate Catholics about the upcoming changes in the Roman missal

WHEN: Friday, November 5, 2010. The media will be invited from 1-2:15 PM.

WHERE: Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive in Shrewsbury

St. Louis, MO – Beginning November 2011, every English speaking Catholic around the world will change some of the words they use and some of the songs they sing, and will hear changes in the prayers recited by the priest. Recently, the Vatican approved changes in the translation of the Roman Missal, which is the text for the celebration of Mass.

The process of implementing a new edition of the prayers of the Mass is not new, but has occurred numerous times throughout the history of the Church as the Liturgy developed and was adapted to particular circumstances to meet the needs of the Church. In the earliest centuries of the Church, there were no books containing prescribed liturgical prayers, texts, or other instructions. Because the faith of the Church was (and still is) articulated in liturgical prayer, there was a need for consistency and authenticity in the words used in the celebration of the Liturgy.

The most recent change to the Roman missal was approved by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

Casual observers of the Roman Catholic Church often remark that it hasn’t changed in 2,000 years. Actually, just like any living institution, it is constantly changing. Over the centuries, where and when the Mass is celebrated, how saints are chosen, and the method of electing popes are some of the ways the Church has adjusted its traditions and policies.

Now come changes to the Roman Missal, the book containing the prayers for the Mass. For years, the Church has been working to more accurately translate those prayers from the Latin in which the original Missal is promulgated into modern languages, including English. Msgr. Kevin Irwin, dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, says those alterations were necessitated by two factors.

“First, the Committee charged with the English translation of the Roman Missal issued the post-Vatican II translations very quickly,” he notes, referring to the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. “They realized, after a few years’ use of the Missal, that some translations should have been more accurate. Second, some feasts have been added to the Church’s liturgical calendar in recent years, for example, St. Padre Pio’s. Those Latin Masses need to be translated into English.”

Peter Finn, associate director of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), compares the changes “to the cleaning of an old painting whose images are brought to clearer light in the cleaning process. …The translations have sought to achieve a suitable balance between the word-for-word, literal meaning of the Latin and the demands of good proclamation, style and intelligibility.”

One of the most significant changes, Msgr. Irwin says, involves the familiar phrase, “And also with you,” which the congregation recites after the celebrant of the Mass says, “The Lord be with you.”

He explains that “the congregation will now say, ‘and with your spirit.’ This places the English translation in line with most other languages. The response is not to the person of the priest but to the Spirit of God, who ordained him to permanent service in the Church. It is an acknowledgment of the ‘spirit’ and grace which is in him.”